Science and Technology Communication
Course content
The global problems we face, such as climate change, the biodiversity crisis, or habitat loss, call for a new agenda for science and technology communication. This course addresses that agenda in two ways:
- It prepares you to communicate advanced science and technology content in ways that can engage diverse audiences in addressing these challenges
- It qualifies you to work with the communication and dissemination of complex and interdisciplinary scientific and technological content in a research-based way
The course has both theoretical and practical components, and prepares you both for your future career pathway and for project-based work in your study programme. The course gives you a solid foundation to be able to convey scientific and technological knowledge to various target groups in a number of different formats, but also to critically reflect on and evaluate scientific communication and dissemination at the crossroads between researchers, decision-makers and the public.
The course is structured in a series of themes that reflect different dissemination media (e.g. executive summaries, exhibitions, popular science articles) and target audiences (decision-makers, conspiracy theorists, etc.). You and your interdisciplinary group work in-depth with the themes through short weekly assignments, where you independently use and reflect on concrete communication tools. Each assignment typically has both a design and an evaluation perspective, so that both theory and practice come into play.
The course addresses Sustainable Development Goal #4 (Quality Education) and #13 (Climate Action), and addresses aspects of goals #10 (Reduced Inequalities), #16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and #17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
MSc Programme in Biology with a minor subject
Knowledge
By participating in the course, the participants acquire knowledge about:
- How to make science and technology communication engaging and relevant in the current context of global sustainability problems
- The characteristics and challenges of communicating scientific and technological processes and products in the current context of global sustainability problems
- The characteristics of different target audiences’ requirements for and expectations of science and technology communication in the current context of global sustainability problems
- Relevant communication formats and their characteristics in the current context of global sustainability problems
Skills
By participating in the course, the participants acquire the skills to:
- Communicate science and technology in writing, orally and visually at the intersection between science and society
- Reflect on how communication can be used strategically
- Identify and relate to epistemological orientations and other characteristics of specific target audiences
Competencies
By participating in the course, the participants acquire the competencies to:
- Reflect on challenges and opportunities for the communication of advanced content matter at the intersection between science and society
- Identify the essential science and technology content (knowledge, methods, practices) for various target audiences
- Select and transform science and technology content for specific target audiences based on insight into the audience’s prior knowledge, preferences and requirements
- Design accurate, credible and engaging communication products
- Critically evaluate science and technology communication and formulate constructive feedback
The teaching is structured as an interaction between workshops, professional presentations, group work and individual work with examples and problems drawn from the course's themes. A crucial part of the course objectives are achieved by participating actively in the teaching and in the exercises.
The teaching materials consist of selected texts and audio/visual material, which will be made available online.
Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree are recommended
In the workshops, participants receive collective and individual oral feedback.
- In the group work, participants receive peer feedback from the members of your group.
- In the written assignments, groups receive guidance in the form of individual and collective oral and written feedback.
- Each individual participant’s work is evaluated at the final exam with a grade and oral feedbackfrom the examiners.
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Oral exam on basis of previous submission, 30 minutes (30-minute preparation time)
- Type of assessment details
- At the exam, one of the five submitted assignments is drawn, as
well as a supplementary question. The assignment and the question
are the basis of the exam, and are presented and discussed by the
student.
Participants must have handed in five of seven written assignments in order to take part in the oral exam. The assignments must be completed in groups. - Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Several internal examiners
- Re-exam
-
Same as the ordinary exam, i.e. participants must have handed in five assignments no later than three weeks before the re-exam. The assignment can be handed in individually for the reexam.
Criteria for exam assessment
In order to achieve the grade 12, the student must be able to convincingly and precisely demonstrate knowledge, skills and competences as described under the learning outcomes.
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 14
- Preparation
- 146
- Practical exercises
- 45
- Exam
- 1
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- NNDK24000U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 block
- Placement
- Block 2
- Schedulegroup
-
B
- Capacity
- 60
The number of places might be reduced if you register in the late-registration period (BSc and MSc) or as a credit or single subject student. - Studyboard
- Study Board for the Biological Area
Contracting department
- Department of Science Education
- The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinator
- Marianne Achiam (6-63656a6b636f426b7066306d7730666d)
Er du BA- eller KA-studerende?
Kursusinformation for indskrevne studerende